The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-14
TALKING TO ONES SELF.
A Most Excellent Way of Combating WEAK
ness, EgotIsm and Pride.

An elderly minister, being twitted
upon the growing habit of talking to
himself, replied that it gave him great
pleasure so to do for two reasons-frst,
because it is always agreeable to talk
TO a sensible man; and, second, it is
equally agreeable to hear sensible
man talk. There is, in fact, certain
fascination in it. A recent writer upon
the Human Brain" asserts that this
habit is one of the tokens of incipient
insanity. 1t is to be hoped that it is
not For it prevails usually among
children and persons OF advanced age,
and though sometimes Indicative of a
certain mental weakness, it need not on
that account necessarily point to loss
of brain. Il is doubtless often mere
habit, arising from intense reflection,
among sober-minded people. 1t might
prove highly profitable indeed to many
persons If they would cultivate this
rare exercise. For the trouble is that
individuals do not communicate with
themselves nearly enough. The mass of
men drift down swiftly on the current
of their thoughts, swept OF on the tide
of business and pleasure. Their inner
life, like their outer, is engrOsSed with
what they shall cat and drink, put on
and do to gain their favorite purposes.
Meanwhile they do not seem TO have
been ever introduced to themselves.
As the subject, they think and feel and
IL - II Il
world outside of themselves as the
object. While men turn their minds
inward to think about themselves, the
metaphysicians call it making self the
subject and the object As the subject
he thinks and he thinks of himself as
the object. This may seem dry enough,
but the distinction is important.
Holmes has somewhere said that every
man is three men-first, what the world
thinks him. to be; next. what he thinks
himself to be; and, third, what God
knows him to be. But how many per-
sons have formed any careful estimate,
founded upon patient determination
and deliberate reflection, rs TO the
~COOHh VI TUT dbDNc OlT cSIl-
mate of ourselves is only guess. 1t is
ever a delicate question, this about
ones real self. 1t toEches pride and
self-esteem in a tender spot. Self
search will surely bring out faults and
frailities now unknown or hastily
CLOSED over. There is nothing one is
so glad to get away from as from his
own weaknesses. If any one dis
believes this. let him try to ac-
curately reveal to some young
person the faults patent to all but
their owner, and he will find that he
has created antagoniSm in rendering
the most useful service. The aversion
to this acknowledge is deep-seated
and well-niGh universal. One has to
school himself to it before he will under
take the uncongeniai task. What an
infrequent thing it is for one to coollv
place himself outside of himSeis. to see
what manner of man he is. For it is
not n delusiOn that every man is a
double in this respect. Persons have
little idea of what is going on in them
selves, because they do not COURAGEOUS
~ look to see. For this reason they so
often suddenly awake to their own true
nature. when betrayed into unantici-
pated folly, and it may be even crime.
They have been unconsciously educat-
ing themselves into sinful modes of
thought and life; and when the out
burst comes, they are startled and sur
prised beyond measure at the terrible
development of self into what they
would deem a monster in another 'Is
thy servant 4 dog that he should do this
thing?" Yes, unfortunately, in many
cases he is, though indignant at the in
timation.
Now, if one will rightly cultivate the
habit of talking to himself he will be-
gin TO find himself out. He will be at
first considerably surprised at this new
acquaintance, of whom he has heard
good deal. He will find that he has
stranger within his gates. Neither has
he been entertaining an angel UNI
awares. He will acquire great many
fresh ideas about his new friend. One
Is often amazed upon thinking over a
course of conversation with others,
especially when the mind has been
deeply aroused. Vivid thoughts.
strange speeches and unsupported fam
cies have spontaneously flashed out
from some hidden source They seem
to have been the utterance of another.
II is vain to speculate whence thew
have come. so unbidden and such odd
strangers. But this mysterious inner
self may be drawn out and made to re-
veal its spirit and concealed life, if one /!
will have frank. honest. enforced !
talk with himself now and then. Take |
pains to draw the other man out that !
lies secreted in tue cave of the soul. |!
Sometimes you will find him a !
very good fellow; sometimes he |
will talk very strangely indeed; ;
sometimes you will be grievously |
shocked to hear what the creature will |
utter. He will let himself ont if YOU
only give him half chance. But YOU
must talk to him, and then listen
intently to what he has to say. Thus
you will take him off his guard. The
good minister might have talked TO a
very sensible fellow. But a goodlv
of us will be disguised in hear
ing very foolish persons talk back to
US.
What is there unreasonable in the